nice nose of dark berries, taste especially of black berries. medium body and okay finish until in the end the tannins are very metallic. this metallic after taste got better after 1-2hours. not quite convinced but still good.
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quite ordinary wine. when opening it was a little closed and it smelled smokey and of berries. thought it would gain by letting it breath. it gained some after 1h, put started to desintegrate soon after. alright wine, nice taste of berries, a little leather. nice acidity and tannins but not much body.
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Nose: tight nose, opened up after an hour: brooding nose, dark fruits, vanilla, a little barnyard, tobacco Taste: Good weight, still has a tannin structure which faded in about 2 hours. A little oaky for my liking. Dark fruits, fig, pepper. 3 hours later it started to fall apart, the alcoholic nose was more apparent and it was reduced to its primary flavours. Wouldn't really buy again. I preferred their entry level effort: Castano Monastrell, cheaper and tastier.
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Nose of plum, violet, horsey, chocolate. Fresh, a little hollow, replay of aroma, medium drying tannins, short-medium length. Doesn't seem to be a great bottle.
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Drinking quite nicely now; medium bodied showing smoky, faintly meaty notes over dark fruits and olives on the nose and palate with a faint woodiness on the back end. Fairly smooth tannins with decent acidity underneath, very pleasant at the dinner table.
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Maybe because I had just eaten a BBQ hamburger, but I got a lot of bell pepper and black olive on the nose. Good structure, good price point. Didn't blow me away, but would buy more.
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The nose reminded me of flavored pipe tabacco. I expected a more rounded flavor but it still had tannic edge. I also expected more fruit from a 100 % Monastrell and found it austere to drink by itself. It was a better match with Manchego and olives. It opened up and improved after an hour in the decanter.
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I'm not liking this bottle as much as the first one. On the second night it started coming together nicely on the nose, with plum fruit, cedar, and maybe a hint of church incense. Slightly flat on the palate, but with some tobacco, smoke and toasty oak showing through. Pretty serious tannic grip. I'm not getting the dynamism I enjoyed from the prior bottle, but still a solid wine.
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Dark purple color with a spicy, grape-juicy nose. Good fruit with a fair amount of spice and surprisingly good balance and acidity. An everyday wine that's a little rough around the edges but has clearly been made with care and is perfect with pizza, spaghetti, or burgers. Best sub-$10 wine I've had in several years.
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My last bottle. Pretty nose of ink, some smoke, dark plums and sweet chocolate. Medium body, tasty with good acidity and nice tannins, finishing with pleasant bitterness. This has definitely aged into a toned down version of bottles I had a year or so ago. Too bad i did not buy more. 89-90pts.
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This smells kind of like a northern rhone to me.strwaberry and raspberry on the palate with a touch of leather. NIce tannins come thorugh on the finish. This wine is really dry as I am smacking my gums. The acidity on the finish reminds me of root beer. Really opening to sooth wine after two hours. Good buy @ $ 12 A lot of interesting wine talk at the CT Forum- click on this link
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Opaque purple. Fresh dark berry fruits, iodine and vanilla with a hint of 'animale' on the nose. Quite fresh on the palate, thick mid-palate (though more prune/fig) plentiful astringent tannins, slightly warm, medium length, bitter finish. Quite impressive for the price, went great with steak. Dense but not over the top.
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Very strong character, volume, depth, and body. I would not like to say that the tannins are harsh, but they are very prominent amd strong. There is some heat present also. I wish that I have saved this bottle for at least another two years. Big structure and nice fruit, very much made to an old world style. Dark cherries and fruits. Some complexity. At least medium finish.
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This was succulent, deep and brooding, with alcohol that may still be a touch prominent but tolerable. This has grown up nicely since the last bottle. Didn't take full-blown TNs, only remember the general prevailing impression of this wine: quite good. Looking forward to some 2005.
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Gelly, ink even crunchy. Monastrell but californian style. Tobacco, red berries and earth. Density in a bottle. To be honest, and despite GQP, Castaño has better options. Decanter? Highly recommended
Gelatinoso, denso, tinta china incluso crujiente. Monastrell pero el estilo californiano. Tabaco, bayas rojas y tierra. La densidad en una botella. Para ser honesto, y a pesar de GQP, Castaño tiene mejores opciones. Se recomienda decantar.
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This is the first sub-$10 I've tried that could be described as "challenging." The fruit is there, but it's only the background for darker notes like burnt toast, coffee and lead. So big and deep it reminds me of a petite sirah. Will definitely buy again, if only to trick friends into thinking I brought a $25 bottle to the party.
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Lush and heavy fruit. A bit of spice (alcohol) and a bit of oak. Layers of complexity in this inky dark wine. For the money (I paid about $10), it is a MUST try and I want to get more before it is all gone. Easy 89+, drinks like a $20+ bottle.
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We opened this as a quick and easy pizza wine (something cheap that had been sitting in the rack for a while), but this wine surprised us. With the first pop and pour, there was an abundance of (almost overwhelming) floral aroma -- it was almost like walking into a Botanical Garden. Flowers, greenery, and even some of the loamy natural fertilizer aromas. As the bottle opened up more, the funk built up a bit and became more bloody/meaty at the end. It's not what I want all the time but, it was certainly an interesting bottle of wine, and definitely worth the 9 bucks.
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14.5% alcohol. Opened and served immediately. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of berries, light smoke, plums, maybe some cherries. Flavors of berries and cherries. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink over the shorter term.
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I'm not very familiar with the Monastrell grape varietal. Very heavy and dark. Not a summer wine at all. I still have about 3/4 of a bottle left. Lets see if it gets any better with some air. I would say this is just about worth the price. I'd rather pay more for higher quality. Rated 85 the first night.
After three night this wine has really settled down. I am very impressed with it now. It is smooth and luscious. It is still a dark rich wine but a little of the alcohol must have boiled off. Every once in a while you still get a sense of the heat. The nose still has the most heat. Rated 89 second and third nights. I still have a little more for tomorrow. AVG of 87.
I wonder what this wine would do with long-term cellaring???
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Lot of heat on the nose and the pepper was a bit overpowering upon first opening. Opened up into a nice little quaffer after being open for a couple of hours. The alcohol never left the nose and it didn't let anything else come through. The pepper balanced out a bit and gave way to some decent sour cherry fruit. Tannins galore and a decent length finish (all pepper). Might be worth laying this one down for a a year or more.
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Hmmm - this wine is showing much different than my last tasting in December. Some reductive funk on the nose (not bothersome), white pepper and a whiff of EtOH. Tart palate with noticeable drying tannins and faint vegetable notes. My guess is this wine has entered a weird phase and will need some more bottle time to re-blossom.
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Last of six consumed in the last year. Popped and served. Ruby red in color. NOse of meat juice, earth, anise and dark fruits. Medium full bodied wine concentrated with dark fruits and a bit of oak in the mouth with good acidity, integrated tannins and a slight bit of heat. Finish runs a little short.
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Dark, inky color. Plum, black berries, rubber, pepper on the nose. Some of the alcohol could be sensed on the palate but overall it was blended pretty well. Fruit last throughout, with tannins that smoothly coats the tongue and teeth. Spicy, even a little bitter on the back end and on the finish. I could sense a little bit of heat on the finish. Overall, for 10 bones this is a very delicious, affordable everyday drinker! I'll try the rest tomorrow and see how it evolves, probably pour it into the decanter a bit, cause I sensed a little tightness all around.
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Deep ruby with a black center. This is a bit disjointed overall; nose of candied black cherries with some sugarcane, charcoal smoke and floral elements, with a bit of alcohol. On the palate, dusty tannins with a slightly bitter finish. The fruit is there throughout which does save it, but never quite comes together.
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Too young and tight, rubber gloves, gasoline, car tires, play doh and spicy pumpkin pie on the nose, burnt sugar on the nose. Bitter, unbalanced, extremely high alcohol (14.5%). It feels like bitting an orange's skin and washing it down with Mezcal. Very bad.
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Really fun wine, especially for the $7.00 price. Dark fruity nose, with a meaty undertone. Delicious dark fruits and pepper spice, and good structure. On the second night, after being in the fridge, it developed again - that same dark, aromatic, brooding nose - but this time on the palate, the most interesting floral attack became apparent to me - I think it's lavendar or violet, maybe both, and a little black licorice. And there's good oak. This is kickin.
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Surprisingly nice for a wine under $10. Clear as a bell with nice floral tones and more berry than you could ask for. Opens nicely with complexity. Great finish!
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color: dark inky purple / ruby nose: brambley fruit, lilac, spice. definite monastrell character, with a hint of earth and wet wool. with time it opens into expansive fruit, floral, and spice. Nice full bodied wine with plenty of structure and character. great fruit and spice; pepper and licorice linger in the finish. chewy, drying tannins balance the fruit. fantastic value and a wine of outstanding character.
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Deep plum red in color. Fruit and aged meat on the nose. Dark berry and pepper on the palette. Not too dry. Would be good wine to serve with BBQ. Adequate tannins and acid to allow this to age. Probably could use several more years in the bottle.
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Have to go with the community on this one. A really nice wine for the price, showing different interesting facets. Deep inky purple color. Pinot Noir-like at times. Silky mouthfeel. Tannic but structured and integrated. Like Vaynerchuk I caught a whiff of Febreze on the first night. Second night brought rich dark fruit on the nose and some butter on the palate. It does have a bitter note that other people have mentioned but that just adds character. Really a fun wine and you can't beat it at this price point. I wish I had a case.
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Some sweet licorice, pomegranate and a bit meaty on the nose. Very fruity almost sweet body with nice acidity and tannins, almost full body. I've had several bottles of this before, this is always a good drink. Finished with some slight bitterness. Good crowd pleaser, but a bit too "new world" for me. Good value (10$). 88-89
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Medium-light ruby. Medium-big nose with dark berry, spice, and wet earth. Plum and blackcurrant with medium high acidity and tannin. Medium-light body. Medium length finish (4+12+14+6) = 86
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Decanted 30 min. Deep garnet color, going to light purple at the edge. Definitely lots of body with this wine. Nose of pepper, dark berry fruit, and smoked meat. Very smooth on the palate, with black cherry, earth and pepper flavors. Big, mouth-drying tannins. This may be fairly age-worthy, based on the structure. Nice integration of acidity, fruit and tannin. I'm quite impressed with this $10 wine! Excellent QPR. Outstanding - 90 points.
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This has many similarities to a Pinot Noir. It was light, reasonably well balanced, and, unlike many lower cost pinots, was not over-acidic or just plain dull. I went out and bought a case just to serve as an "every day" wine. The buyer at Costco had only one other QPR wine that he thought was comparable.
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Dark red with blueish rims. Huge nose of blue and black berries, violets, baked pie crust, and a hint of black pepper. The nose is very refreshing, powerful and very concentrated. In the mouth, this is full of dark fruits and spice but falls a little short of expectations given the nose. This is a medium bodied wine with sandy tannins that brings a slight bit of heat on a medium-short finish. There is much bottle variation with this wine. Fifth bottle opened and the best yet.
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I've had other wines from this region and I've been a little disappointed. This is definitely the best Monastrel I've had. Nice fruit, but the balance and structure far exceed what you normally get at this price point. Great value wine that I will definitely be buying more of.
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Made a mistake with this wine. I popped the wine and got a nice waft of dark fruit from the bottle. Unfortunately, I decanted the wine while cooking dinner and the wine flattened out. Really dark coilor. Little hints of dark fruit on the palate. High acidity. Astringent mouthfeel. Bitter and short finish. This is definitely a pop and pour wine.
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Not bad. Meaty nose. Soft, no rough edges and easy to drink. Not too special but sometimes you need a break from special wine. Buy when it goes on sale.
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Fruitiness on the nose and palate are a little restrained.There is some dark fruit and blueberries but the high alcohol level leaves a slightly bitter finish.Did not improve much after airing.Still rather cheap and easy drinking.
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Immediately after opening this wine was not well integrated although it had many layers and was a complex wine. I never detected much fruitat any point and primarily detected chocolate. After 1 hour or so in the glass/bottle, the wine became more integrated although I felt the wine wasn't as balanced as I would hope as the alcohol was too high for the rest of this wine. The tannins were interesting and seemed to sneak up on me more than other wines...not a bad thing as I like a tannins but just more of a sneak attack. I also noticed the wood/oak in this wine. The mid to end of the palate had a bitter component/taste that I could not identify and something that I did not like. Overall, good wine for a good price but a few elements held back my scoring.
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Nose of plum,mint,blue or blackberry, milk chocolate.. silky mouthfeel blue fruit foward with spearmint showing on the mid palate (very nice) gripping tannins come in the crossover to a nice plum finish. Very good wine for the price,good food wine. Would like to give an 89 + maybe a 90..
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Color: Dark purple Nose: Intense with spice, floral, pepper, oak Taste: Nice acidity with spice, plum, floral, pepper, oak, vanilla Finish: Medium with pleasing qualities. It is almost refreshing which is not usually a quality of the Monastrell grape Evaluation: Great wine at a great price. 90 points
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Grape(s): 100% Monastrell Alcohol: 14.5% Acidity: smooth Tannin – medium / hard tannins Price: $12.99 Rating: Personal = 90; Wine Advocate = 91 points; International Wine Cellar = 90 points; Gary Vaynerchuk = 89 points Aromas – Aromatic; black and red cherries, black currant, floral violets and lavender, slight smoky wood Color –deep color, purple with ruby edges Flavor – Dry, full -bodied. Moderate to intense. Dark fruit, chocolate, coffee bean, pepper, mineral (granite or slate), anise Finish: Medium to long
Notes: An absolute steal of a wine for under $13. Monastrell has become one of my favorite grapes and this reminds me why. Wonderfully aromatic with black and red cherries, black currant and subtle floral scents. Went back and caught a smoky wood aroma. Flavors were deep and mouth filling. Dark fruit. The mouth feel was weighty with firm tannin structure. Nicely rounded with a smooth acidity. Shows both new world and old world styles, so it will be hard to find anyone who won’t admire this wine. Mid palate turned to a milk chocolate and a roasted coffee bean with the fruit backing them nicely. Nice slate mineral component, anise and pepper on the finish. There's complexity to the wine with layers of flavors rarely experienced at this price point. Highly recommend this wine. Enjoyed this wine by itself, more than I did with food. Gives us wine drinkers on a limited budget some hope!! Such an amazing QPR that I "may" have bumped the score a point... sue me! Do yourself a favor, find this bottle!
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A good bottle. When first opened, spice was prominent and the tannins were overpowering and unbalanced, but after being in a glass about an hour the dark fruit really started to come through, a little grilled / charred bell pepper on the nose too. Tastes of dark, dried fruits and a little freshness & spiciness toward the end, then a pretty long lasting finish comes up solidly.
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Dark ruby color. Nose of dark fruits. Medium body. Very spicy on the palate with chery, blackberrry and subtle tannins. Nice finish. Very good wine for the money. Consistent x 2 bottles.
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Deep ruby color, smooth and balanced, lots of dark fruit, sort of earthy, some tannin for structure, some spiciness; a nice blend of tastes. This is a very drinkable wine now with only a little air; it may have some potential over the next 2-3 years also. It is a great QPR at around $10.
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Intense cherry red-violet. Needs time, the first day was reduced with sulfites on the nose. Much better second day, showing ripe plums, graphite and mediterranean forest. Worse in the palate not balanced with a weird acidity. In anay case not bad fo 6€.
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Much better than Bodegas Olivares Monastrell Altos de la Hoya. More integrated, more balance, more body, nose is smoother, fatter and overall a better wine, at least for my taste.
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Didn't get to try until it had been opened for a couple days, so probably not an accurate representation. Don't wait a couple days, it doesn't go bad, but was very ordinary.
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Based on the enthusiasm of the fellow who recommended it to me, I expected more. Than again at $9 it's a pretty fair value. Fruit forward, with an agressive layer of spice. Was looking for more of the "fruit bomb" style I've had in some of the other Spanish reds in this range.
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Found it to be a little light for my preference. Fair amount of red fruit, but didnt find it to be the fruit bomb others described it as. Light tannins and very smooth. Slightly bitter finish. Not bad, but in no rush to go out and buy again.
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Fruit bomb with a little chocolate oak to make it interesting. Some purple flowers are trying as hard as they can to sneak in there. A little hint of red sauce too (weird). drink up peeps.
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I found this wine to be currently a little closed. The wine may be a little better with age or may be just what it is. The tannins were still a little heavy, although not overbearing. Currently, the wine for me is just o.k.; not bad but not exciting either.
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I found it to be extremely smooth on the palate, and balanced. The tannins, such as they are, are completely integrated--no "rough tongue" for me! However, IMOH, it's just a good wine to have around for every day...it is not at all complex, for it does not have much of a finish nor a "palette" of flavors. It does not make me THINK. Now--that said, I would definitely buy this again, for excellent QPR reasons....I just don't think that this wine brings much to the table in terms of its "nerd" wine palate appeal!
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The nose had a dirty sock smell, mixed with some black fruit, and a bit of milk chocolate. The palate had lots of dark fruit, plus some wet leaves, and spice. The finish was good.
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Decanted for a couple of hours before dinner. Nose had pleasant aromas of dark fruits and a little asian spice. Some heat on the nose as well, but it didn’t kill the fruit. Good weight and grip on the palate. Solid effort for the money.
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Alcohol not completely in the wine thus a bit hot, the body is not well structured, the wine is still very tannic, nice dark color with a ruby red shine. The aroma's consist mainly of blackberry, licorice, earth. This wine still needs some aging.
I will not buy this wine again as i find the fact that all components are not entirely merged in the body very disturbing.
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very young, decanted for over an hour with periodic aeration, vibrant strawberry and raspberry nose, with plum and hint of blackberry throughout, with hint of pepper at the end; did not pick up the alcohol/heat others mentioned - medium mouthfeel and finish; i think a couple years in the bottle would help this one be a little less powerful on the fruit and bring out different flavors in front, mid and finish
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Color: deep crimson, a little purple but i wouldn't quite call it ruby, very glassy, thin to medium legs. Nose: powerfully strawberry jam and black fruit with hints green onion and a spice can't quite name Taste: Again, medium bodied but with a delayed but strong tanic punch that makes me want to pucker, but overpowers some of the subtler flavors that I got on the first taste. A little salt cuts through this and exposes the flavors (so i'd probably prefer it with food than straight up drinking). Dry flavor with dark sour cherries, chocolate (not cocoa). Oak on the tip of the tongue, some strawberry jam I smelled on the sides. Finish: Long and sticky. It makes me want to sip it, or eat a nice steak with it.
A heck of a lot going on for a $9 bottle of wine... i'm going to put it away and see what it tastes like tomorrow. I'm definitely going to buy a couple more bottles, I'd like to see what this tastes like with a little more age. Great QPR. I found the second glass much more open and enjoyable than the first.
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Day 2: Dark flavors really evolved. Plummy nose has come out, dark fruit and chocolate taste, the tannins have really mellowed to allow the flavor and there is a much heavier mouth feel. At the same timethat strawberry jam is gone... i kind of liked it. While the flavor is very different day 2, it's certainly just as good a wine, if not better.... I'm going to have to raise my rating.
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This needs a minimum of an hour to really open up. Very nice nose. Reminds me of a Syrah, Meaty (bacon), savory and Earthy with deep black fruit flavours. A real gem at $10/bottle. I will buy more. If this had even deeper sweeter fruit and a tad more acidity and tad less heat I would score much higher. I noticed some heat so I would serve on the cooler side to contol it. Great inexpensive wine for food but for more serious wine drinkers also.
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Fresh and juicy on the nose that carries to the medium frame that is nicely balanced. The blackfruit here is sweet and smooth and is complimented by hints of licorice and milk chocolate. Would recommend.
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This wine is 100% Monastrell. More ruby than purple, this wine is probably the ultimate BBQ quaffer. Smooth, lush, potent, deep, what this lacks in elegance and complexity, it makes up for in layers and layers of dark, earthy fruit. The finish is big, long, coating and dentin staining. Not a hard edge to be found. I like this, as it avoids being cloying and has some unusual Monastrell-based flavours. Don't make the mistake of holding this one- drink it now or soon, and watch your BBQ guests swoon.
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Much better than our first bottle after some aeration, it was inky purple, with notes of sour cherry and oak, strong on the palate at 14.5% alcohol, tannic structure that indicates a few more years is necessary, a nice medium-long finish (89 Points).
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Dark, crimson-chocolate Monastrell. Fair aroma of earth, cream, fig, slight licorice. Flavor strikes cherry, bacon, cream, and pepper. Tannins no problem, acidity medium and crisp. Finish has strawberry and white pepper but leaves too soon. Steady QPR (4+13+15+6)=88 Obviously, I need to decant longer - on day 2 & 3 this wine was doing even better. Longer finish and smoother fruit. I have to bump my prior score (4+13+16+7) = 90.
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Great value at $10. Somewhat tight and bitter when first opened. Opened up very nicely after 1.5 hours. Very tasty in the final analysis. Long, juicy finish. Delicious.
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Deep purple color. Decanted for 30 minutes. Nice bouquet and palate of dark fruit mixed with spices. Nice grippy tannins, occasional waves of alcohol. Finished the bottle 24 hours later - still with the fruit/spice, tannins were more subdued and no heat. Would decant for a little longer the next time. Will buy again if on sale.
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Poured a glass and began drinking after 2 hours. Very purple color around the edges. Very light nose (blueberry, herbaceous), and very light on the palate too. Some basic fruit on both. Moderatly dry. The finish actually stays lingering for some time, but not one that changes over time (but I can still taste it's simplicity a minute later). About in line with its price, but nothing to get excited about. 91 Parker?... are you crazy?
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At the Bayfield Cottage - Not as good as previous vintages in my opinion, however it was quite good, it was dark and brooding, strong nose of fruit, earth and oak, it was very strong on the palate with a medium finish, shoud've been decanted for a bit (87 Points).
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A nice wine for the price. Very alcohol forward upon opening, both in nose and palate. This was the dominant attribute for the first taste. In my opinion unbalanced, strong pop and then a mild, understated finish. After opening for 30 minutes or so it smoothed out a bit. Tends toward an "old world" feel. I will try it again soon and then again in a few months.
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Better than the '03. Barnyard nose gives way to licorice, mint, and dark fruits on the nose. The wine is gamy, with dark chocolate, tobacco, and blackberry flavors. Good acidity and balanced tannin for a great food wine. I'm glad the availability of this wine is widespread.
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The best of 3 Yeclas we drank last week. Slightly more refined and better balanced than the others. It has a barnyard and dark fruit nose that softens with some air time. The profile on this was big fruit to start and a peppery finish. In between there were nice earth and chocolate flavors mixing in. It was well balanced with mild tannins that made it easy to drink on it's own. However it had enough acidity to allow it to hold up to food.
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Excellent for the price. Inky purple color, very rich. Highly floral nose, violets with hints of anise and black fruits. Taste rich and fruity, with anise and black pepper undertones and heavily affected by the violet nose. Tasty.
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Dark purple in color. Weak nose of smoke, earth, spice and ripe berries. Anise, spice, and pepper on the palate with a slightly hot medium long finish. Pronounced tannins which will improve with time.
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Aromatics of blackberry, soy and game. Surprising old-new world balance. Fleshy and gamey flavors. Firm tannic grip. Improved leaps and bounds over 36 hours being open...suggests the need for a little more age. Nice example of pure mourvedre.
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Blackberry nose. Red and blackfruit on palate. Developed more brown flavors midpalate with 30 minutes - tobacco and leather. Brunello like Excellent value.
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Deep garnet; intense blackberries, black cherries, meat; restrained ripe berry, medium-full body, good balance, decent acidity, firm tannins, lingering finish. Decanted 2 hrs. Ripe fruit with lots of body but still showed old world restraint. Better than the '03, this tasted like a more expensive wine. Excellent with grilled venison.
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PI. Mesmas impressões anteriores. Apesar do equilíbrio, da concentração de fruta e acidez, o 'adocicado' está bem presente, lembrando fruta em compota. Só por isso perde um pouco em gosto pessoal. Para quem gosta do estilo, tem ótimo custo/benefício. Ótimo..
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Licorice, cherry and a bit herb on nose. Full bodied pallet. Sweet then slowly turn a bit austere. Tannin is soft and fine. Not enough concentration though. Falls apart and turn diluted on a short finish. It's 14.5% alcohol and you can feel it. The more you drink the more unattractive it becomes.
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I agree with Jay on this wine. What a screaming qpr. Nose of dark fruit. Nicely balanced with a palate of soft tannin and muted fruit and chocolate. 20 second finish. Shipping kills me on this type of wine but still a great deal for the $14 I have invested.
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A nice fresh and fruity nose, raspberries and sour cherries on the palate, but fairly light body compared with other Monastrells I have had, not as much spice. The finish was short and left a lot of astringent tannins, either decant this a while or save it for a few years and see what happens.
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Wow . . . what a difference a day makes! I opened this last night and was overwhelmed by blueberry pie on the nose and an inky taste I didn't enjoy. That said, I tasted it right after a really nice Rioja Crianza and it was an epic clash for me. When I poured another glass tonight, the wine had really improved and softened. I now get a modest soy and violet nose with flavors of earth and cinnamon. Powdery tannins, but not aggressive. Salud!!
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A bit tight, very dark fruit that showed itself more after 2 hours of being open. Dark chocolate, dry with a silky finish. Seemed a bit short on length but that improved with oxygen. What a super value!! ($15 CAD)
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Almost black color. On the nose very expressive, blackberries, blueberries, blood, earth. In the mouth, very fruity with strong blueberry jam, blackberries, chocolate, leather and game. At the same time very structured and quite complete. A bit of heat and tannins near the end, but a nice finish. At 10 dollars a pop....buy a case or 3. Old world fans and new world fans will both like this IMO. Went great with a seared pork tenderloin with mushroom sauce. Pretty freeking impressive.
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Decanted and drank over several days. Didn't have the same experience as other tasters. I found it to be weak and thin - not much structure. Perhaps a bad bottle.
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A bold, extracted, highly-structured wine. Drank out of a plactic cup at a party. Didn't get much out of the nose except for alcohol, but that could have been because of the cup. Color seemed very dark - again difficult to tell because of the cup. Flavors were dark too. Dark ripe fruit with massive mouth-drying tannins.
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Kylix Vinhos - inauguração: Provado informalmente. Importado pela Península. Rubi com reflexos violáceos, média complexidade, boa acidez, levemente adocicado, amargor sutil e um aroma surpreendente de damasco. Ótimo.
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Deeper and darker on the nose than the normale, more about depth and earth, deep black fruit...extracted, never so youthful as to be grapey, animal, earth, BIG structure/tannin, everything remains dark and brooding until the end of the finish revealing the closest thing to red fruit through the palate experience.
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7/8/2012 - gerard.h wrote: 82 Points
nice nose of dark berries, taste especially of black berries. medium body and okay finish until in the end the tannins are very metallic. this metallic after taste got better after 1-2hours. not quite convinced but still good.
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7/3/2011 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 89 Points
Too bad this was the last one. A good run for the money. Nice blackberry, good tannins, strong acid backbone, still lively and interesting.
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6/16/2011 - Machiavelli wrote:
Not sure if this was an off-bottle or just past its best. Had a weird metallic taste and a sharp finish.
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8/16/2010 - gerard.h wrote: 82 Points
quite ordinary wine. when opening it was a little closed and it smelled smokey and of berries. thought it would gain by letting it breath. it gained some after 1h, put started to desintegrate soon after. alright wine, nice taste of berries, a little leather. nice acidity and tannins but not much body.
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7/21/2010 - Machiavelli wrote:
Smokey, plums, plush, low acid, integrated tannins, brawny and warm, short finish. Typical showing.
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1/26/2010 - JdeM wrote:
Pretty ordinary but much better than 2006
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11/10/2009 - Brian1970 wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with previous notes.
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10/7/2009 - stevenjstein wrote: 87 Points
Kind of a smoky, cranberry, sort of thing. Chewey tannins.
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9/30/2009 - ikileo wrote:
Nose: tight nose, opened up after an hour: brooding nose, dark fruits, vanilla, a little barnyard, tobacco
Taste: Good weight, still has a tannin structure which faded in about 2 hours. A little oaky for my liking. Dark fruits, fig, pepper. 3 hours later it started to fall apart, the alcoholic nose was more apparent and it was reduced to its primary flavours. Wouldn't really buy again. I preferred their entry level effort: Castano Monastrell, cheaper and tastier.
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9/25/2009 - kshideler wrote: 83 Points
Pepper, earthy, not a bad bottle for the price, got better as the night went on.
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9/17/2009 - Machiavelli wrote:
Nose of plum, violet, horsey, chocolate. Fresh, a little hollow, replay of aroma, medium drying tannins, short-medium length. Doesn't seem to be a great bottle.
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8/27/2009 - aurbanik wrote: 81 Points
Nice wine for a red meat meal. Easy to drink but not really sophisticated. Very good price/quality factor.
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8/8/2009 - jeffu wrote: 88 Points
Love this wine.
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7/28/2009 - salil wrote: 88 Points
Drinking quite nicely now; medium bodied showing smoky, faintly meaty notes over dark fruits and olives on the nose and palate with a faint woodiness on the back end. Fairly smooth tannins with decent acidity underneath, very pleasant at the dinner table.
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3/31/2009 - danhendricks wrote: 85 Points
Very dry wine, I taste some green bell pepper flavor. I enjoyed it.
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3/10/2009 - lleblanc wrote: 87 Points
Maybe because I had just eaten a BBQ hamburger, but I got a lot of bell pepper and black olive on the nose. Good structure, good price point. Didn't blow me away, but would buy more.
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3/7/2009 - Wiz wrote: 87 Points
The nose reminded me of flavored pipe tabacco. I expected a more rounded flavor but it still had tannic edge. I also expected more fruit from a 100 % Monastrell and found it austere to drink by itself. It was a better match with Manchego and olives. It opened up and improved after an hour in the decanter.
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12/22/2008 - dfitzg2 wrote: 90 Points
Very nice wine. A pleasant surprise from my cellar as an under $10 wine with lots of character and complexity
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12/1/2008 - valecnik wrote: 86 Points
I'm not liking this bottle as much as the first one. On the second night it started coming together nicely on the nose, with plum fruit, cedar, and maybe a hint of church incense. Slightly flat on the palate, but with some tobacco, smoke and toasty oak showing through. Pretty serious tannic grip. I'm not getting the dynamism I enjoyed from the prior bottle, but still a solid wine.
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11/24/2008 - bin905 wrote: 87 Points
Tobacco, berry, smoke and earth. Somewhat rustic at first. Calmed down after breathing, but retained its structure.
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11/22/2008 - stoneb wrote: 87 Points
Dark purple color with a spicy, grape-juicy nose. Good fruit with a fair amount of spice and surprisingly good balance and acidity. An everyday wine that's a little rough around the edges but has clearly been made with care and is perfect with pizza, spaghetti, or burgers. Best sub-$10 wine I've had in several years.
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11/15/2008 - Tad GW wrote: 89 Points
50+5+11+16+7=89
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11/7/2008 - skidder7 wrote: 86 Points
Aroma of dark fruit and a hint of dark chocolate. NIce flavor of stewed dark fruits finishing with black pepper. Enjoyed with grilled salmon.
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11/6/2008 - dke wrote: 90 Points
My last bottle. Pretty nose of ink, some smoke, dark plums and sweet chocolate. Medium body, tasty with good acidity and nice tannins, finishing with pleasant bitterness. This has definitely aged into a toned down version of bottles I had a year or so ago. Too bad i did not buy more. 89-90pts.
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9/13/2008 - J2K wrote: 88 Points
This smells kind of like a northern rhone to me.strwaberry and raspberry on the palate with a touch of leather. NIce tannins come thorugh on the finish. This wine is really dry as I am smacking my gums. The acidity on the finish reminds me of root beer. Really opening to sooth wine after two hours. Good buy @ $ 12
A lot of interesting wine talk at the CT Forum- click on this link
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9/10/2008 - markcvino wrote: 91 Points
Unrevealing nose but very nice wine on the palate with medium texture and peppery finish. Mild Tannins.
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9/10/2008 - bigdogflow wrote: 90 Points
Drank over 2 nights. Medium color, but incredible taste. Super wine, and it was $8!!!
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9/10/2008 - Machiavelli wrote:
Opaque purple. Fresh dark berry fruits, iodine and vanilla with a hint of 'animale' on the nose. Quite fresh on the palate, thick mid-palate (though more prune/fig) plentiful astringent tannins, slightly warm, medium length, bitter finish. Quite impressive for the price, went great with steak. Dense but not over the top.
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9/9/2008 - Capt M wrote: 87 Points
Very strong character, volume, depth, and body. I would not like to say that the tannins are harsh, but they are very prominent amd strong. There is some heat present also. I wish that I have saved this bottle for at least another two years. Big structure and nice fruit, very much made to an old world style. Dark cherries and fruits. Some complexity. At least medium finish.
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9/7/2008 - jvogel wrote:
This was succulent, deep and brooding, with alcohol that may still be a touch prominent but tolerable. This has grown up nicely since the last bottle. Didn't take full-blown TNs, only remember the general prevailing impression of this wine: quite good. Looking forward to some 2005.
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9/2/2008 - rmsanz wrote: 88 Points
Nice for a Tuesday. Not too complex, but light fruit and spice.
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8/24/2008 - Harley1199 wrote:
Gelly, ink even crunchy. Monastrell but californian style. Tobacco, red berries and earth. Density in a bottle. To be honest, and despite GQP, Castaño has better options. Decanter? Highly recommended
Gelatinoso, denso, tinta china incluso crujiente. Monastrell pero el estilo californiano. Tabaco, bayas rojas y tierra. La densidad en una botella. Para ser honesto, y a pesar de GQP, Castaño tiene mejores opciones. Se recomienda decantar.
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8/15/2008 - chc wrote: 88 Points
Medium to full body, berry with hint of plum, round tannin,
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8/11/2008 - will2wine wrote: 88 Points
This is the first sub-$10 I've tried that could be described as "challenging." The fruit is there, but it's only the background for darker notes like burnt toast, coffee and lead. So big and deep it reminds me of a petite sirah. Will definitely buy again, if only to trick friends into thinking I brought a $25 bottle to the party.
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7/30/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 87 Points
WIML87
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7/8/2008 - T-Bag wrote: 89 Points
Lush and heavy fruit. A bit of spice (alcohol) and a bit of oak. Layers of complexity in this inky dark wine. For the money (I paid about $10), it is a MUST try and I want to get more before it is all gone. Easy 89+, drinks like a $20+ bottle.
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7/1/2008 - JeffnCin wrote:
We opened this as a quick and easy pizza wine (something cheap that had been sitting in the rack for a while), but this wine surprised us. With the first pop and pour, there was an abundance of (almost overwhelming) floral aroma -- it was almost like walking into a Botanical Garden. Flowers, greenery, and even some of the loamy natural fertilizer aromas. As the bottle opened up more, the funk built up a bit and became more bloody/meaty at the end. It's not what I want all the time but, it was certainly an interesting bottle of wine, and definitely worth the 9 bucks.
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6/22/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 88 Points
WIML88,PURPLE90
Tasted June 22, 2008.
14.5% alcohol. Opened and served immediately. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of berries, light smoke, plums, maybe some cherries. Flavors of berries and cherries. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink over the shorter term.
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6/14/2008 - texaswino wrote:
rather chunky and awkward at first opening. Will need some air to evaluate this one...
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6/8/2008 - cobystilp wrote: 87 Points
I'm not very familiar with the Monastrell grape varietal. Very heavy and dark. Not a summer wine at all. I still have about 3/4 of a bottle left. Lets see if it gets any better with some air. I would say this is just about worth the price. I'd rather pay more for higher quality. Rated 85 the first night.
After three night this wine has really settled down. I am very impressed with it now. It is smooth and luscious. It is still a dark rich wine but a little of the alcohol must have boiled off. Every once in a while you still get a sense of the heat. The nose still has the most heat. Rated 89 second and third nights. I still have a little more for tomorrow. AVG of 87.
I wonder what this wine would do with long-term cellaring???
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6/6/2008 - javadrinker wrote: 85 Points
Lot of heat on the nose and the pepper was a bit overpowering upon first opening. Opened up into a nice little quaffer after being open for a couple of hours. The alcohol never left the nose and it didn't let anything else come through. The pepper balanced out a bit and gave way to some decent sour cherry fruit. Tannins galore and a decent length finish (all pepper). Might be worth laying this one down for a a year or more.
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5/29/2008 - bound4er wrote: 85 Points
Hmmm - this wine is showing much different than my last tasting in December. Some reductive funk on the nose (not bothersome), white pepper and a whiff of EtOH. Tart palate with noticeable drying tannins and faint vegetable notes. My guess is this wine has entered a weird phase and will need some more bottle time to re-blossom.
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5/20/2008 - Happybob wrote: 87 Points
great value - a bit on the jammy side, but settles down after 1 hr open
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5/5/2008 - LesterKwong wrote: 87 Points
Last of six consumed in the last year. Popped and served. Ruby red in color. NOse of meat juice, earth, anise and dark fruits. Medium full bodied wine concentrated with dark fruits and a bit of oak in the mouth with good acidity, integrated tannins and a slight bit of heat. Finish runs a little short.
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5/1/2008 - mstrickland wrote: 83 Points
Toast and dark raspberry, harsh acids on finish. Very dry and uneventful.
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4/28/2008 - tatumvay wrote: 88 Points
Dark, inky color. Plum, black berries, rubber, pepper on the nose. Some of the alcohol could be sensed on the palate but overall it was blended pretty well. Fruit last throughout, with tannins that smoothly coats the tongue and teeth. Spicy, even a little bitter on the back end and on the finish. I could sense a little bit of heat on the finish. Overall, for 10 bones this is a very delicious, affordable everyday drinker! I'll try the rest tomorrow and see how it evolves, probably pour it into the decanter a bit, cause I sensed a little tightness all around.
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4/27/2008 - dougsmith wrote: 86 Points
Deep ruby with a black center. This is a bit disjointed overall; nose of candied black cherries with some sugarcane, charcoal smoke and floral elements, with a bit of alcohol. On the palate, dusty tannins with a slightly bitter finish. The fruit is there throughout which does save it, but never quite comes together.
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4/22/2008 - rickerm wrote: 85 Points
Great for the price.
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4/20/2008 - Alekos wrote: 78 Points
Too young and tight, rubber gloves, gasoline, car tires, play doh and spicy pumpkin pie on the nose, burnt sugar on the nose. Bitter, unbalanced, extremely high alcohol (14.5%). It feels like bitting an orange's skin and washing it down with Mezcal. Very bad.
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4/13/2008 - AustinDRC wrote:
Very good. A lot more fruit than most of what I have been drinking. Fantastic aroma. Great bargain.
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4/12/2008 - Brian1970 wrote: 90 Points
Really fun wine, especially for the $7.00 price. Dark fruity nose, with a meaty undertone. Delicious dark fruits and pepper spice, and good structure. On the second night, after being in the fridge, it developed again - that same dark, aromatic, brooding nose - but this time on the palate, the most interesting floral attack became apparent to me - I think it's lavendar or violet, maybe both, and a little black licorice. And there's good oak. This is kickin.
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4/9/2008 - dfitzg2 wrote: 91 Points
Surprisingly nice for a wine under $10. Clear as a bell with nice floral tones and more berry than you could ask for. Opens nicely with complexity. Great finish!
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3/28/2008 - sa66 wrote: 90 Points
color: dark inky purple / ruby
nose: brambley fruit, lilac, spice. definite monastrell character, with a hint of earth and wet wool. with time it opens into expansive fruit, floral, and spice.
Nice full bodied wine with plenty of structure and character. great fruit and spice; pepper and licorice linger in the finish. chewy, drying tannins balance the fruit. fantastic value and a wine of outstanding character.
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3/24/2008 - Patches wrote: 89 Points
Oak, lavendar, and blackberry aromas. The flavors are concentrated berries, and a very smooth pepper. Long finish. Great bargain.
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3/23/2008 - DanSm wrote: 84 Points
Deep plum red in color. Fruit and aged meat on the nose. Dark berry and pepper on the palette. Not too dry. Would be good wine to serve with BBQ. Adequate tannins and acid to allow this to age. Probably could use several more years in the bottle.
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3/18/2008 - valecnik wrote: 87 Points
Have to go with the community on this one. A really nice wine for the price, showing different interesting facets. Deep inky purple color. Pinot Noir-like at times. Silky mouthfeel. Tannic but structured and integrated. Like Vaynerchuk I caught a whiff of Febreze on the first night. Second night brought rich dark fruit on the nose and some butter on the palate. It does have a bitter note that other people have mentioned but that just adds character. Really a fun wine and you can't beat it at this price point. I wish I had a case.
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3/17/2008 - jjlobi wrote: 86 Points
Once again I am the minority view. Didn't care that much for this, but others thought it was very good and they would re-purchase.
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3/16/2008 - dke wrote: 88 Points
Some sweet licorice, pomegranate and a bit meaty on the nose. Very fruity almost sweet body with nice acidity and tannins, almost full body. I've had several bottles of this before, this is always a good drink. Finished with some slight bitterness. Good crowd pleaser, but a bit too "new world" for me. Good value (10$). 88-89
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3/9/2008 - Snookboy wrote: 88 Points
Garnet in color. Berries and jam on the nose. Nice red fruit palate with some pronounced tannins on the finish. Very drinkable $12 wine.
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3/8/2008 - madcaps wrote: 90 Points
Doesn't get any better for $10. crushed berries, pepper , cigar box - medium body, balanced from nose to finish
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3/4/2008 - Chasse wrote: 88 Points
rating considers price. Nice bottle for the money. Certainly not a special occaision wine.
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3/3/2008 - fingers wrote: 86 Points
Medium-light ruby. Medium-big nose with dark berry, spice, and wet earth. Plum and blackcurrant with medium high acidity and tannin. Medium-light body. Medium length finish (4+12+14+6) = 86
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3/2/2008 - sunalsorises wrote: 87 Points
Good value red. Nothing outstanding but good all around.
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2/19/2008 - matrixed wrote:
Reasonably fruit nose, a bit bitter for my taste. Got slightly better with the 2nd glass, but still harsh, leather, earth
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2/19/2008 - RPerro wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 30 min. Deep garnet color, going to light purple at the edge. Definitely lots of body with this wine. Nose of pepper, dark berry fruit, and smoked meat. Very smooth on the palate, with black cherry, earth and pepper flavors. Big, mouth-drying tannins. This may be fairly age-worthy, based on the structure. Nice integration of acidity, fruit and tannin. I'm quite impressed with this $10 wine! Excellent QPR. Outstanding - 90 points.
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2/12/2008 - b2emarkets wrote: 88 Points
This has many similarities to a Pinot Noir. It was light, reasonably well balanced, and, unlike many lower cost pinots, was not over-acidic or just plain dull. I went out and bought a case just to serve as an "every day" wine. The buyer at Costco had only one other QPR wine that he thought was comparable.
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2/9/2008 - donrad wrote: 87 Points
Decent bottle for the price. Black Pepper, Green Pepper, slightly vegetal nose with a bit of cherry fruit. Same on palate......Good value.
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1/30/2008 - LesterKwong wrote: 89 Points
Dark red with blueish rims. Huge nose of blue and black berries, violets, baked pie crust, and a hint of black pepper. The nose is very refreshing, powerful and very concentrated. In the mouth, this is full of dark fruits and spice but falls a little short of expectations given the nose. This is a medium bodied wine with sandy tannins that brings a slight bit of heat on a medium-short finish. There is much bottle variation with this wine. Fifth bottle opened and the best yet.
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1/26/2008 - ftibbitts wrote: 90 Points
I've had other wines from this region and I've been a little disappointed. This is definitely the best Monastrel I've had. Nice fruit, but the balance and structure far exceed what you normally get at this price point. Great value wine that I will definitely be buying more of.
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1/26/2008 - Rich S wrote: 85 Points
Made a mistake with this wine. I popped the wine and got a nice waft of dark fruit from the bottle. Unfortunately, I decanted the wine while cooking dinner and the wine flattened out. Really dark coilor. Little hints of dark fruit on the palate. High acidity. Astringent mouthfeel. Bitter and short finish. This is definitely a pop and pour wine.
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1/23/2008 - ooridoori wrote: 89 Points
Not bad. Meaty nose.
Soft, no rough edges and easy to drink.
Not too special but sometimes you need a break from special wine.
Buy when it goes on sale.
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1/18/2008 - Henman wrote: 82 Points
Fruitiness on the nose and palate are a little restrained.There is some dark fruit and blueberries but the high alcohol level leaves a slightly bitter finish.Did not improve much after airing.Still rather cheap and easy drinking.
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1/17/2008 - beachnic wrote: 88 Points
Not as good as the 1st time. seemed a little monolithic this time.
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1/16/2008 - albrigsr wrote: 86 Points
Immediately after opening this wine was not well integrated although it had many layers and was a complex wine. I never detected much fruitat any point and primarily detected chocolate. After 1 hour or so in the glass/bottle, the wine became more integrated although I felt the wine wasn't as balanced as I would hope as the alcohol was too high for the rest of this wine. The tannins were interesting and seemed to sneak up on me more than other wines...not a bad thing as I like a tannins but just more of a sneak attack. I also noticed the wood/oak in this wine. The mid to end of the palate had a bitter component/taste that I could not identify and something that I did not like. Overall, good wine for a good price but a few elements held back my scoring.
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1/5/2008 - EricFromMD wrote: 89 Points
Drink this fairly regularly. Always a good QPR.
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12/29/2007 - tatumvay wrote: 89 Points
Nose of plum,mint,blue or blackberry, milk chocolate.. silky mouthfeel blue fruit foward with spearmint showing on the mid palate (very nice) gripping tannins come in the crossover to a nice plum finish. Very good wine for the price,good food wine. Would like to give an 89 + maybe a 90..
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12/25/2007 - 3daywinereview.com wrote:
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Intense with spice, floral, pepper, oak
Taste: Nice acidity with spice, plum, floral, pepper, oak, vanilla
Finish: Medium with pleasing qualities. It is almost refreshing which is not usually a quality of the Monastrell grape
Evaluation: Great wine at a great price. 90 points
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12/20/2007 - Caz wrote: 90 Points
Grape(s): 100% Monastrell
Alcohol: 14.5%
Acidity: smooth
Tannin – medium / hard tannins
Price: $12.99
Rating: Personal = 90; Wine Advocate = 91 points; International Wine Cellar = 90 points; Gary Vaynerchuk = 89 points
Aromas – Aromatic; black and red cherries, black currant, floral violets and lavender, slight smoky wood
Color –deep color, purple with ruby edges
Flavor – Dry, full -bodied. Moderate to intense. Dark fruit, chocolate, coffee bean, pepper, mineral (granite or slate), anise
Finish: Medium to long
Notes: An absolute steal of a wine for under $13. Monastrell has become one of my favorite grapes and this reminds me why. Wonderfully aromatic with black and red cherries, black currant and subtle floral scents. Went back and caught a smoky wood aroma. Flavors were deep and mouth filling. Dark fruit. The mouth feel was weighty with firm tannin structure. Nicely rounded with a smooth acidity. Shows both new world and old world styles, so it will be hard to find anyone who won’t admire this wine. Mid palate turned to a milk chocolate and a roasted coffee bean with the fruit backing them nicely. Nice slate mineral component, anise and pepper on the finish. There's complexity to the wine with layers of flavors rarely experienced at this price point. Highly recommend this wine. Enjoyed this wine by itself, more than I did with food. Gives us wine drinkers on a limited budget some hope!! Such an amazing QPR that I "may" have bumped the score a point... sue me! Do yourself a favor, find this bottle!
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12/12/2007 - bound4er wrote: 90 Points
May be the best one yet I have had. Just a really good bottle with some character not normally found in a $10 wine.
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12/10/2007 - klmarshall wrote: 88 Points
Better than I remembered it. More integrated and balanced than before.
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12/10/2007 - cobbpa wrote: 89 Points
A good bottle. When first opened, spice was prominent and the tannins were overpowering and unbalanced, but after being in a glass about an hour the dark fruit really started to come through, a little grilled / charred bell pepper on the nose too. Tastes of dark, dried fruits and a little freshness & spiciness toward the end, then a pretty long lasting finish comes up solidly.
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12/6/2007 - brewery44 wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby color. Nose of dark fruits. Medium body. Very spicy on the palate with chery, blackberrry and subtle tannins. Nice finish. Very good wine for the money. Consistent x 2 bottles.
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11/30/2007 - amax wrote: 90 Points
Deep ruby color, smooth and balanced, lots of dark fruit, sort of earthy, some tannin for structure, some spiciness; a nice blend of tastes. This is a very drinkable wine now with only a little air; it may have some potential over the next 2-3 years also. It is a great QPR at around $10.
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11/27/2007 - Oruor wrote: 77 Points
Intense cherry red-violet. Needs time, the first day was reduced with sulfites on the nose. Much better second day, showing ripe plums, graphite and mediterranean forest. Worse in the palate not balanced with a weird acidity. In anay case not bad fo 6€.
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11/25/2007 - nubbin wrote: 84 Points
Tasty, toasty and easy drinking wine that's food friendly. Soft chocolate on finish. Good affordable wine. (D 6.5, F 5.5; Cent., ES)
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11/22/2007 - DoubleMagnum wrote: 89 Points
Much better than Bodegas Olivares Monastrell Altos de la Hoya. More integrated, more balance, more body, nose is smoother, fatter and overall a better wine, at least for my taste.
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11/12/2007 - MarcInDSM wrote:
Didn't get to try until it had been opened for a couple days, so probably not an accurate representation. Don't wait a couple days, it doesn't go bad, but was very ordinary.
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11/11/2007 - JMPVermont wrote: 86 Points
Based on the enthusiasm of the fellow who recommended it to me, I expected more. Than again at $9 it's a pretty fair value. Fruit forward, with an agressive layer of spice. Was looking for more of the "fruit bomb" style I've had in some of the other Spanish reds in this range.
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11/7/2007 - Seo wrote: 85 Points
Found it to be a little light for my preference. Fair amount of red fruit, but didnt find it to be the fruit bomb others described it as. Light tannins and very smooth. Slightly bitter finish. Not bad, but in no rush to go out and buy again.
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11/3/2007 - BlueDevil wrote: 89 Points
Fruit bomb with a little chocolate oak to make it interesting. Some purple flowers are trying as hard as they can to sneak in there. A little hint of red sauce too (weird). drink up peeps.
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11/3/2007 - ewill wrote:
I found this wine to be currently a little closed. The wine may be a little better with age or may be just what it is. The tannins were still a little heavy, although not overbearing. Currently, the wine for me is just o.k.; not bad but not exciting either.
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11/3/2007 - patriciat wrote: 87 Points
I found it to be extremely smooth on the palate, and balanced. The tannins, such as they are, are completely integrated--no "rough tongue" for me! However, IMOH, it's just a good wine to have around for every day...it is not at all complex, for it does not have much of a finish nor a "palette" of flavors. It does not make me THINK. Now--that said, I would definitely buy this again, for excellent QPR reasons....I just don't think that this wine brings much to the table in terms of its "nerd" wine palate appeal!
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10/31/2007 - h2o wrote: 87 Points
Better with a 1 hour decant. Good with spicy back ribs.
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10/27/2007 - mmurry wrote: 89 Points
The nose had a dirty sock smell, mixed with some black fruit, and a bit of milk chocolate. The palate had lots of dark fruit, plus some wet leaves, and spice. The finish was good.
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10/23/2007 - keelegl wrote: 85 Points
Decanted for a couple of hours before dinner. Nose had pleasant aromas of dark fruits and a little asian spice. Some heat on the nose as well, but it didn’t kill the fruit. Good weight and grip on the palate. Solid effort for the money.
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10/18/2007 - Fredericn wrote: 88 Points
Alcohol not completely in the wine thus a bit hot, the body is not well structured, the wine is still very tannic, nice dark color with a ruby red shine.
The aroma's consist mainly of blackberry, licorice, earth.
This wine still needs some aging.
I will not buy this wine again as i find the fact that all components are not entirely merged in the body very disturbing.
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10/16/2007 - Currywm wrote: 89 Points
Well worth it
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10/6/2007 - Louisiana George wrote: 87 Points
very young, decanted for over an hour with periodic aeration, vibrant strawberry and raspberry nose, with plum and hint of blackberry throughout, with hint of pepper at the end; did not pick up the alcohol/heat others mentioned - medium mouthfeel and finish; i think a couple years in the bottle would help this one be a little less powerful on the fruit and bring out different flavors in front, mid and finish
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10/3/2007 - thatguy314 wrote: 90 Points
I let it breath for about 45 min before drinking
Color: deep crimson, a little purple but i wouldn't quite call it ruby, very glassy, thin to medium legs.
Nose: powerfully strawberry jam and black fruit with hints green onion and a spice can't quite name
Taste: Again, medium bodied but with a delayed but strong tanic punch that makes me want to pucker, but overpowers some of the subtler flavors that I got on the first taste. A little salt cuts through this and exposes the flavors (so i'd probably prefer it with food than straight up drinking). Dry flavor with dark sour cherries, chocolate (not cocoa). Oak on the tip of the tongue, some strawberry jam I smelled on the sides.
Finish: Long and sticky. It makes me want to sip it, or eat a nice steak with it.
A heck of a lot going on for a $9 bottle of wine... i'm going to put it away and see what it tastes like tomorrow. I'm definitely going to buy a couple more bottles, I'd like to see what this tastes like with a little more age. Great QPR. I found the second glass much more open and enjoyable than the first.
-----------------------------
Day 2: Dark flavors really evolved. Plummy nose has come out, dark fruit and chocolate taste, the tannins have really mellowed to allow the flavor and there is a much heavier mouth feel. At the same timethat strawberry jam is gone... i kind of liked it. While the flavor is very different day 2, it's certainly just as good a wine, if not better.... I'm going to have to raise my rating.
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9/26/2007 - howardeb wrote: 88 Points
Full bodied. Long finish. Great QPR. Spectacular for the price!
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9/20/2007 - klmarshall wrote: 87 Points
Nice fruit and good balance, but the back end is very rough right now. Wait another year or two and then try again.
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9/18/2007 - epml wrote: 90 Points
extreamly delishious bottle for 10.00.
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9/6/2007 - beachnic wrote: 90 Points
This needs a minimum of an hour to really open up. Very nice nose. Reminds me of a Syrah, Meaty (bacon), savory and Earthy with deep black fruit flavours. A real gem at $10/bottle. I will buy more. If this had even deeper sweeter fruit and a tad more acidity and tad less heat I would score much higher. I noticed some heat so I would serve on the cooler side to contol it. Great inexpensive wine for food but for more serious wine drinkers also.
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9/3/2007 - BSpdx wrote: 88 Points
Fresh and juicy on the nose that carries to the medium frame that is nicely balanced. The blackfruit here is sweet and smooth and is complimented by hints of licorice and milk chocolate. Would recommend.
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8/30/2007 - blanquito wrote:
This wine is 100% Monastrell. More ruby than purple, this wine is probably the ultimate BBQ quaffer. Smooth, lush, potent, deep, what this lacks in elegance and complexity, it makes up for in layers and layers of dark, earthy fruit. The finish is big, long, coating and dentin staining. Not a hard edge to be found. I like this, as it avoids being cloying and has some unusual Monastrell-based flavours. Don't make the mistake of holding this one- drink it now or soon, and watch your BBQ guests swoon.
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8/30/2007 - Tarrant wrote: 89 Points
Much better than our first bottle after some aeration, it was inky purple, with notes of sour cherry and oak, strong on the palate at 14.5% alcohol, tannic structure that indicates a few more years is necessary, a nice medium-long finish (89 Points).
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8/29/2007 - fingers wrote: 90 Points
Dark, crimson-chocolate Monastrell. Fair aroma of earth, cream, fig, slight licorice. Flavor strikes cherry, bacon, cream, and pepper. Tannins no problem, acidity medium and crisp. Finish has strawberry and white pepper but leaves too soon. Steady QPR (4+13+15+6)=88 Obviously, I need to decant longer - on day 2 & 3 this wine was doing even better. Longer finish and smoother fruit. I have to bump my prior score (4+13+16+7) = 90.
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8/26/2007 - knuckledragger wrote: 89 Points
Great value for a $10 wine. Goes great with steak. Will buy more.
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8/23/2007 - eldiabloazul wrote: 91 Points
Great value at $10. Somewhat tight and bitter when first opened. Opened up very nicely after 1.5 hours. Very tasty in the final analysis. Long, juicy finish. Delicious.
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8/23/2007 - green-steve wrote: 85 Points
Deep purple color. Decanted for 30 minutes. Nice bouquet and palate of dark fruit mixed with spices. Nice grippy tannins, occasional waves of alcohol. Finished the bottle 24 hours later - still with the fruit/spice, tannins were more subdued and no heat. Would decant for a little longer the next time. Will buy again if on sale.
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8/21/2007 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 85 Points
Poured a glass and began drinking after 2 hours. Very purple color around the edges. Very light nose (blueberry, herbaceous), and very light on the palate too. Some basic fruit on both. Moderatly dry. The finish actually stays lingering for some time, but not one that changes over time (but I can still taste it's simplicity a minute later). About in line with its price, but nothing to get excited about. 91 Parker?... are you crazy?
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8/16/2007 - bound4er wrote: 90 Points
Really opened up nicely after about 2 hours. This is well made wine for the small tariff. Has the stuffing to age for a couple of years.
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8/12/2007 - Tarrant wrote: 87 Points
At the Bayfield Cottage - Not as good as previous vintages in my opinion, however it was quite good, it was dark and brooding, strong nose of fruit, earth and oak, it was very strong on the palate with a medium finish, shoud've been decanted for a bit (87 Points).
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8/5/2007 - Scarred1 wrote: 86 Points
A nice wine for the price. Very alcohol forward upon opening, both in nose and palate. This was the dominant attribute for the first taste. In my opinion unbalanced, strong pop and then a mild, understated finish. After opening for 30 minutes or so it smoothed out a bit. Tends toward an "old world" feel. I will try it again soon and then again in a few months.
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7/30/2007 - burkekr wrote: 90 Points
Better than the '03. Barnyard nose gives way to licorice, mint, and dark fruits on the nose. The wine is gamy, with dark chocolate, tobacco, and blackberry flavors. Good acidity and balanced tannin for a great food wine. I'm glad the availability of this wine is widespread.
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7/30/2007 - Tudz Drkl wrote: 87 Points
The best of 3 Yeclas we drank last week. Slightly more refined and better balanced than the others. It has a barnyard and dark fruit nose that softens with some air time. The profile on this was big fruit to start and a peppery finish. In between there were nice earth and chocolate flavors mixing in. It was well balanced with mild tannins that made it easy to drink on it's own. However it had enough acidity to allow it to hold up to food.
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7/28/2007 - eden93 wrote: 85 Points
Excellent for the price. Inky purple color, very rich. Highly floral nose, violets with hints of anise and black fruits. Taste rich and fruity, with anise and black pepper undertones and heavily affected by the violet nose. Tasty.
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7/21/2007 - LesterKwong wrote: 88 Points
Dark purple in color. Weak nose of smoke, earth, spice and ripe berries. Anise, spice, and pepper on the palate with a slightly hot medium long finish. Pronounced tannins which will improve with time.
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7/15/2007 - LPskeleton wrote: 89 Points
Aromatics of blackberry, soy and game. Surprising old-new world balance. Fleshy and gamey flavors. Firm tannic grip. Improved leaps and bounds over 36 hours being open...suggests the need for a little more age. Nice example of pure mourvedre.
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7/1/2007 - Fructis Garner wrote:
Blackberry nose. Red and blackfruit on palate. Developed more brown flavors midpalate with 30 minutes - tobacco and leather. Brunello like Excellent value.
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6/23/2007 - bound4er wrote: 89 Points
Very good QPR - needs a year of bottle aging to come around. Nice core of red fruits and good grip here.
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6/20/2007 - GuruofAV wrote: 90 Points
Very dark color, but not black
Nose of fruit and leather
Silky mouthfeel, cherries, strawberries, sour fruit, good grip, finish is short
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5/30/2007 - ColinR wrote: 91 Points
Deep garnet; intense blackberries, black cherries, meat; restrained ripe berry, medium-full body, good balance, decent acidity, firm tannins, lingering finish.
Decanted 2 hrs. Ripe fruit with lots of body but still showed old world restraint. Better than the '03, this tasted like a more expensive wine. Excellent with grilled venison.
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5/27/2007 - Vinho wrote: 89 Points
PI. Mesmas impressões anteriores. Apesar do equilíbrio, da concentração de fruta e acidez, o 'adocicado' está bem presente, lembrando fruta em compota. Só por isso perde um pouco em gosto pessoal. Para quem gosta do estilo, tem ótimo custo/benefício. Ótimo..
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5/27/2007 - kanwingshing wrote: 85 Points
Licorice, cherry and a bit herb on nose. Full bodied pallet. Sweet then slowly turn a bit austere. Tannin is soft and fine. Not enough concentration though. Falls apart and turn diluted on a short finish. It's 14.5% alcohol and you can feel it. The more you drink the more unattractive it becomes.
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5/26/2007 - LesterKwong wrote:
Muted when opened and tasted. Ranking withheld.
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5/11/2007 - GOL wrote:
Earth and fruit and a good QPR. Had with Alex, Jori, T
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4/17/2007 - jrewing wrote: 91 Points
Great wine for the price.
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4/2/2007 - dsimmons wrote: 91 Points
I agree with Jay on this wine. What a screaming qpr. Nose of dark fruit. Nicely balanced with a palate of soft tannin and muted fruit and chocolate. 20 second finish. Shipping kills me on this type of wine but still a great deal for the $14 I have invested.
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4/1/2007 - GOL wrote:
Brought to Donna's b-day dinner at Tango Sur. Starting to get to know what monastrell tastes like, can't describe yet. Raisins, but in a good way.
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3/31/2007 - kenito799 wrote: 84 Points
A nice fresh and fruity nose, raspberries and sour cherries on the palate, but fairly light body compared with other Monastrells I have had, not as much spice. The finish was short and left a lot of astringent tannins, either decant this a while or save it for a few years and see what happens.
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3/31/2007 - matterhorn78 wrote: 79 Points
I agree with ONYX1361, this wine is weak and thin. Won't be buying it again.79
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3/29/2007 - armchairsommelier wrote: 88 Points
Wow . . . what a difference a day makes! I opened this last night and was overwhelmed by blueberry pie on the nose and an inky taste I didn't enjoy. That said, I tasted it right after a really nice Rioja Crianza and it was an epic clash for me. When I poured another glass tonight, the wine had really improved and softened. I now get a modest soy and violet nose with flavors of earth and cinnamon. Powdery tannins, but not aggressive. Salud!!
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3/19/2007 - Shifty Al wrote: 91 Points
A bit tight, very dark fruit that showed itself more after 2 hours of being open. Dark chocolate, dry with a silky finish. Seemed a bit short on length but that improved with oxygen. What a super value!! ($15 CAD)
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3/15/2007 - aktormedic wrote: 91 Points
After 3 hours decanting....
Almost black color.
On the nose very expressive, blackberries, blueberries, blood, earth.
In the mouth, very fruity with strong blueberry jam, blackberries, chocolate, leather and game. At the same time very structured and quite complete. A bit of heat and tannins near the end, but a nice finish.
At 10 dollars a pop....buy a case or 3.
Old world fans and new world fans will both like this IMO.
Went great with a seared pork tenderloin with mushroom sauce.
Pretty freeking impressive.
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3/14/2007 - onyx1361 wrote:
Decanted and drank over several days. Didn't have the same experience as other tasters. I found it to be weak and thin - not much structure. Perhaps a bad bottle.
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2/5/2007 - jahlove wrote: 88 Points
A bold, extracted, highly-structured wine. Drank out of a plactic cup at a party. Didn't get much out of the nose except for alcohol, but that could have been because of the cup. Color seemed very dark - again difficult to tell because of the cup. Flavors were dark too. Dark ripe fruit with massive mouth-drying tannins.
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12/13/2006 - Vinho wrote: 89 Points
Kylix Vinhos - inauguração: Provado informalmente. Importado pela Península. Rubi com reflexos violáceos, média complexidade, boa acidez, levemente adocicado, amargor sutil e um aroma surpreendente de damasco. Ótimo.
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10/8/2006 - CO CHRIS wrote: 90 Points
Deeper and darker on the nose than the normale, more about depth and earth, deep black fruit...extracted, never so youthful as to be grapey, animal, earth, BIG structure/tannin, everything remains dark and brooding until the end of the finish revealing the closest thing to red fruit through the palate experience.
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8/22/2006 - Mlermontov wrote: 89 Points
polaner fall 06: this is totally different. fresh, well made wine, great fruit and nice midpalate. nice tannins on the finish.
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8/22/2006 - dougsmith wrote: 89 Points
Polaner Selections Fall Preview Tasting (New York City): Deep ruby color. Nose of bright black fruit, raw meat and sweet spice. On the palate it is quite full and perhaps a touch hot.
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7/21/2006 - IlonaN wrote: 90 Points
This was delicious, dark and ripe with a subtle pine tar vibe and spicy nose.
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